Day 2 of our Albania Road Trip!

Day two of our Albanian road trip started on a bit of a stressful note. My phone decided it was done with life, so I spent the morning trying to figure out what to do about it no easy feat when you're in a foreign country and relying on it for directions, translations, and photos. After some back and forth we finally hit the road around 10am ready to explore somewhere new.

Our destination for the day Gjirokastër a UNESCO World Heritage site tucked inland in Albania. Known as the "City of Stone," Gjirokastër is famous for its well preserved Ottoman era architecture, dramatic hilltop castle, and rich history.

The drive took just over an hour and was stunning in itself winding roads through mountainous landscapes, with postcard perfect views around every bend. It’s the kind of drive where you want to keep pulling over just to take it all in.

When we first arrived, though, we were a little… underwhelmed. At first glance, Gjirokastër didn’t seem to live up to the hype. But we soon realised we’d landed in the *new* town all modern buildings and traffic, none of the charm we’d read about. Thankfully, once we found our way into the old town, everything changed. It was like stepping into another time.

The cobblestone streets curved gently up the hillside, lined with old stone houses and tiny ceramic shops selling beautiful handmade pieces. We found a gorgeous little restaurant tucked into the old town and stopped for lunch. The food was delicious, fresh, and packed with flavour but what really made the meal special was the setting. We sat outside and just people watched for a while, soaking in the atmosphere. There was a real buzz in the air and it was just lovely to sit there and take it all in.

After lunch, we spent the next hour or so wandering around the shops each one full of handmade treasures, from traditional textiles to carved wood and colourful ceramics. It felt like every corner held something new to discover.

Eventually, we stumbled across something unexpected the old Cold War-era tunnel built by the communist group here. Constructed in the 1970s, this 800 meter long bunker was designed as a secret hideout and government command centre in the event of an attack. It's eerie, cold, and a stark contrast to the charm of the town we were just enjoying.

Once we were done we jumped back in the car and began the drive home. But we couldn’t resist one more stop.

Just outside Sarandë, we pulled into Lëkurësi Castle perched high on a hill with sweeping views over the city and sea. I had seen photos from here during the summer months you can enjoy a drink whilst sitting in a bean bag as the sun sets but unfortunately the bar looked packed up now for the winter so we just enjoyed the views instead.

Back at our Airbnb, we whipped up some tasty beef bowls for dinner then curled up in bed, with maps and booking.com at the ready as we planned the next stretch of our adventure Montenegro and Budapest!Læs mere